Tara Alatorre
Staff
ANTHEM - The North Valley Regional Library located in Anthem at the Boulder Creek High School campus was awarded a $5,000 mini-grant to host a Writers in Residence program along with four other libraries around the state.

The mini grants were funded through the Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records under the direction of Secretary of State Michele Reagan, who is extremely fond of the program, according to representatives from her office.

“Grants like these make it possible for aspiring writers to learn from experienced authors,” said Secretary Reagan. “It’s just another example of libraries providing great educational opportunities.”

The program promotes writing in communities by connecting local, professional authors to serve in local libraries. Authors will spend time at the library during their residency composing new works and providing education for community members.

Each library will host two authors, one for a residency from February to April and a second for May to July. The recipient libraries listed below each received a grant of $5,000:

• Glendale Public Library
• Maricopa County Library District North Valley Regional Library
• Mesa Public Library
• Pima County Public Library
• Tempe Public Library

“If you haven’t visited your local library in a while, you may not realize that libraries are so much more than just a place to get a book,” Secretary Reagan said in a press release. “They are community centers and a place where people can connect with their community.”

Tina Radcliffe is the North Valley Regional Library’s resident author from now until the end of April. She has been a freelance writer for over twenty years, and is a founding member and manager of Seekerville, a 13-author blog. Seekerville has been a Writer's Digest “101 Best Websites for Writers” award winner 2013-2017. She currently resides in Arizona writing heartwarming romance, according to her website.

Radcliffe will be available for 30-minute appointments during her residency for free consultation hours until the end of April on Wednesdays from 6-8 p.m., Fridays from 11 a.m.-1p.m., and varied times on Saturdays. Radcliffe will provide aspiring writers with comments, suggestions, encouragement and answers any questions they have during the scheduled consultations.

Her next scheduled event as the North Valley Regional Library Writer-in-Residence is “Do You Need a Literary Agent?” workshop that takes place on April 14 at 1 p.m. in the meeting room. Radcliffe will cover the different types of literary representation, how to query an agent, resources for finding the perfect agent and more. Another upcoming notable event with Radcliffe is “Building Your Writer Platform” on Saturday, April 21, at 1 p.m.

All Writers-in-Residence workshops and events are in the North Valley Regional Library meeting room at 40410 N. Gavilan Peak Parkway and registration is required. Anyone interested in registering for a consult-a-writer session or other programs can call the library 602-652-3000. For more information visit the event calendar at mcldaz.org/custom/branches/northvalley/.